Must leave the frying pan (Portland, Hillsboro: sale, foreclosure, homes)

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by meltinjohn

Some of you people who claim this place is racist seriously need to get a grip and stop being loathing liberals. You all lose in the end.

I think you'd be best served to move on to another thread. I'm not sure you have any more feet to put in your mouth at this point.

And for the record, I'm a card-carrying Republican. And always have been. That doesn't mean I can't spot racist attitudes. And it doesn't mean I approve of them. I always thought it was a human thing to be against racisim, not something solely reserved for liberals.

[Minervah]

I got the impression that Bluesbabe was simply stating statistics. She said there were gangs and who comprised them. When I was a little kid living back in inner-city Chicago in the 40's and 50's, there were Irish and Italian gangs in my neighborhood. That's how they identified themselves.
If a group consists of people of a certain ethnic or geographical background, what is wrong with naming it? I don't see where Bluesbabe said anything bad about any individual or particular ethnic group. So if there are gangs where she lives, and since she lives there and I don't, I assume she knows what she is talking about; what's the big deal?
As far as her family being surprised at the number of Hispanics or any other ethic group, well the first time my sister visited me from Chicago she commented on how many tall women she saw downtown. That doesn't mean she is prejudiced against tall women. It was simply an observation.
I don't think we should be so hasty with the accusations. We really don't know one-another well enough to make such drastic conclusions as to whether or not someone is racist just from a post or two. In any case the comments that have been made are on this thread only and not the entire forum.

[Bluesbabe]

Funny. I guess I just assumed that everyone knew what "them" meant. So here's what it means according to Webster's Dictionary: Objective of "they". I went a step farther to look up "they": Plural of he, she, or it.

So, somehow a word that refers to the plural of he, she, or it, has become another "cursed" word in the world of the Politically Correct language.

As for you, Enrico, did I just read your last post correctly???? Are you ~ gasp! ~ stereotyping Republicans for being racist??????????????????

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I don't think we should be so hasty with the accusations. We really don't know one-another well enough to make such drastic conclusions as to whether or not someone is racist just from a post or two. In any case the comments that have been made are on this thread only and not the entire forum.

Ah, a cool head in the mix. I agree. It's far too easy to judge from a very little information (and yes, I have done this - nothing to be proud of).

I don't understand meltinjohn's post. I thought he (he?) was referencing how much this area was not rascist, compared to other places; then went on to call people "loathing liberals". What does that mean? Oh, never mind.

I guess I would be considered racist by some, because I think (I know) that most dry cleaners here are owned by Koreans.

It's a good thing to keep our antennae up for racists and bad things, but it's also easy to go overboard. Good post, Minervah ~

[Bluesbabe]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I got the impression that Bluesbabe was simply stating statistics. She said there were gangs and who comprised them.

And I thank you, too.

I don't think anyone who knows me considers me racist. They all know that I'm not a bleeding-heart, which occasionally gets on their nerves. But there is a big difference between the two, and this forum is the 1st time I've ever been accused of racism.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by Bluesbabe

As for you, Enrico, did I just read your last post correctly???? Are you ~ gasp! ~ stereotyping Republicans for being racist??????????????????

Absolutely not. Meltinjohn's post referred to people who found some of the posts racist as "loathing liberals." I always thought that the general percetion (of liberals, most likely) was that being Republican was the antithesis of that. Just wanted him to know that this Republican was among those he branded as "loathing liberals" ... whatever a "loathing liberal" is, exactly.


As for the wording of your post ... while it may have been your intent to simply quote statistics. To use the phrasing of "how many of them we have here" implies that the place belongs to the "we", and not to the "them." It's unwelcoming language at the very least, "them" not being a part of "we." Kind of a patronizing tone to it.

[Bluesbabe]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

As for the wording of your post ... while it may have been your intent to simply quote statistics. To use the phrasing of "how many of them we have here" implies that the place belongs to the "we", and not to the "them." It's unwelcoming language at the very least, "them" not being a part of "we." Kind of a patronizing tone to it.

Funny. My parents were Europeans, we lived in a community full of them (again, to quote Webster: Plural for he, she, or it), and I know I've used the words "them" and "we" to refer to my own people countless times, whether it was in a positive or critical tone, and I'm sure I heard it from others. If it ever bothered me, it's totally erased from my infamously-sharp memory. I'm not very high-strung about stuff.

Meltinjohn's response, to me, sounded almost facetious, like he could have been mocking me instead of you.

[Leisesturm]

About the only regular posters missing from this fracas is Nell and (until now) me. I've quickly brought myself up to speed by reading all four pages of posts and here's my take. Stop. Enough. I could stop also at this point having said enough but that wouldn't be my style. I'm a wordy sort and I'll continue on for a little while.

I moved to Hillsboro (the bad side) a couple of months ago without benefit of this forums wisdom to guide me. Good thing. For one thing I probably could not have afforded Orenco and environs or at least I wouldn't be able to go to the health club and vacation at the coast if I was worried about how to pay rents in a desirable area. Second is that the east side of Hillsboro is just cleared forest and looks much like Beaverton: strip malls or mall villages and condo complexes. The west side has much more character.

It is beginning to bother me that I still have not seen evidence of this gang epidemic that is obviously all around me. It isn't worth poisoning the good relations of regular posters to get mired in this issue if it is baseless. Are these gangs a serious threat to the health and well being of the general populace or are they not? Are gangbangers targeting civilians or are they not? Has any civilian citizen of Hillsboro or its nearer areas been hit by drive by gunfire? I finally saw some tagging the other day and it took me four days of hard searching to find it. To date I have found NO evidence of gang activity in Hillsboro other than that. Mind you, I am not saying that there isn't any, only that it simply cannot be as rampant as it is made out to be in these threads otherwise I would have heard or seen something by now.

Anyone who knows me knows I am not happy about the displacement of Central and South Americans into the U.S. but lets agree going forward to be honest about this issue and look the Devil in the eye and call him by name. It isn't GANGS that is eating you, its all the American labor being lost to uncontrolled immigration. The Hispanics I have seen and met do not have a violent bone in their bodies. They just want to be left alone to live in peace. For some this means playing music a little too loud but this can be said of the garage band that rehearses next door. The response needs to be the same.

I and my partner live in an incredibly nice house because, it must be said, some nice white person got freaked by the change in the neighborhood and fled. They left us this house. Thank you very much. The other nice white people in the association are doing the same thing. Great. We now have Mexicans living right next door. We went over to see them this afternoon. Nice enough people, we'll see how it goes. If you are white and reading this, know that the changes and everything that you fear is controlled by you or others like you. Everything in America happens directly or indirectly because of whte people. Do not hate or fear the Hispanics, they are here because trade policies established by power types in Washington and encouraged by entrepreneur types all over America made it much better for them to be here than where they were. This is tacitly condoned by the American government.

The problem is with the government, not with the Mexicans and it is bigger than you or I and it might actually be better to discuss how little sunshine there is west of the Cascade Range than race issues if we are not going to try and be honest about why the race issues have become such a big issue.

H

[meltinjohn]

Whatever EnricoV might be, he or she is starting to get on my nerves.
You can use "them" when describing others. And what I mean about loathing liberals was the PC people in this world I cannot stand. Whether your republican or democrat it makes no difference seeing I met republicans also who are flakes like yourself.
This is supposed to be a free world ( I won't get into how this should be a free country) where those can speak what they want, when they want. If you don't like that well, maybe its best you hit the stepping.

[Bluesbabe]

Leisesturm ~ You may do just fine and not experience any problems at all. But it's like you said, neighbors are leaving the area. If some are families then it could be issues with the schools (another topic).

But aren't you glad that you had the information (gangs, crime) than make the move blind? At least you had it all together before you made your decision.

The gang activity ebbs and flows in Hillsboro. And it has acquired an aggressive police response service. If you haven't already, you will notice in time that you'll always see police cars in pursuit, or on call, in pairs, often three.

Meltinjohn ~ Thank you.